“In short, with its freedom to explore and lack of a
classical arc, this seems to draw heavily from the Fallout well. Marrying that
to an unexplored (in this particular genre) theme, and we’ve got something
that’s terribly exciting for anyone who cares about RPGs.” – Kieron Gillen,
Rock Paper Shotgun

“Even if it didn’t have zombies, I’ve waited at least a
decade to play a modern game with X-COM’s mechanics commingled with a few of
the original Fallout’s RPG sensibilities. Bring on Dead State.” – Evan Lahti,
PC Gamer

Dead State is a compelling,
high-tension RPG set at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. As society is
beginning to fall apart, the player must organize allies, fortify a shelter,
scout for food and supplies, and make uncertain alliances, attempting to hold
together a group as humanity teeters on the brink of extinction. And although
the zombies lurk as an ever present threat, the biggest obstacle to the player
may just be other humans with the same goal: survival at any cost.

Interact with dozens of characters in
over 10,000 lines of branching dialogue that affect gameplay, story outcomes,
and multiple endings. Explore multiple surrounding towns and areas to find
supplies and recruit allies. Fight the living and the dead in strategic
turn-based combat. Upgrade your shelter to provide new ways of keeping morale
high, creating new weapons and armor, and keeping the dead out. Your leadership
will mean life or undeath for the survivors of the zombie apocalypse.

We are so sick of most zombie games. Yes,
we get it, killing zombies is fun. But that’s not what the zombie genre is
about. It’s about survival, first and foremost – the struggle of the survivors
faced with adapting to a world that has succumbed to an unfathomable event.

This is your story – you’re the leader and it’s up to you to force the lucky,
the traumatized, and the selfish to work together for weeks and months after
society has collapsed. Zombies are the least of your problems – you need to
keep morale high, mouths fed, and your shelter safe. You will lose people. You
will make enemies. You will have to make tough decisions. And you might not
make it.

-A PC RPG with stats, skills, and
perks that make a huge difference on your character’s abilities.

-Dozens of characters with branching,
reactive dialogue, and randomized events that unfold over months of in-game
time – player decisions and the death of loved ones can change relationships
drastically.

-Turn-based combat where line-of-sight
and noise affect whether you are spotted or not, making for extremely tense
encounters.

-Scavenging mechanics that require
players to find supplies, weapons, armor, and other items to keep their allies
fed and alive.

-A morale system that factors in
player success/failure, allies’ faith in the player, and the overall strength
of the shelter.

-Crisis Event dialogues that factor in
political maneuvering and making difficult choices that affect your whole
shelter.

-Reactive AI that responds
realistically to combat situations, player commands, and the state of panic
from the presence of zombies.

DoubleBear Productions is an indie RPG
developer founded by Brian Mitsoda (formerly of Black Isle, Troika, and
Obsidian - writer/designer for Vampire
the Masquerade: Bloodlines) and Annie VanderMeer Mitsoda (Obsidian,
Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir). We’ve worked on multiple titles in our
tenure in the industry - most of it in RPG companies. Our goal with Dead State
is to bring back the gameplay, dialogue choices, and turn-based combat of
classic RPGs but with an unusual setting and some much needed system
innovation. We’ve assembled a team that has come from the indie (part of our team comes from Iron Tower Studio, creators of Age of Decadence - a turn-based RPG), modding, and
professional scenes – we want to make RPGs for fans of old-school RPGs and
gamers who want something both fresh and more mature than the mainstream market
produces.

Most of the staff of DoubleBear has
been working on Dead State in their spare time (which is why you may have heard
of it), and while we’ve managed to finish a bit of work, there’s still a ways
to go. RPGs are big games with lots of content, writing, and systems – you
don’t see a lot of companies making them because they can take years, even with
large teams and major funding. We need your funding to help us keep our staff
on full-time and hire additional staff to speed up production of the game. We’re
not just trying to build one great RPG with the tools and assets we create – we
want to keep delivering new and exciting indie RPGs to you. But first we need
to get Dead State finished, and that’s going to take the support of fans like
you.

Where does the money go? It pays
salaries, goes to licenses for software and equipment, and gives us flexibility
to bring on additional people at certain stages of the project (like sound, for
instance). We’re asking for enough to get the project done, but we’ve also got
stretch goals that will allow us to add more content to the game. Once we get
funded, we will be showing off our progress here and on our forums and website
regularly. We’ve been very open with our fans about the project, and we’ll
continue to be throughout the production process.

As Dead State is an RPG with a lot of text and dialogue, localizing will be a long, expensive process. Right now we are concentrating on the English version, but we are looking into localizing the game into a few other languages after release.

We’re not featuring beta access right now as our type of game and team size doesn’t make doing a beta or beta demo feasible, and may delay the production. However, if we feel that we need to do this for testing/feedback purposes later on, we may offer beta access to some of our higher-level backers.

Our team philosophy is that if we create extra content such as new levels, weapon packs, and special features, we want everybody who buys the game to enjoy it. So, here’s the deal – when we meet our stretch goals, we’ll be adding a whole lot of items that most game companies would package as DLC, but in the spirit of a game about everyone working together, we ask that if you are interested in additional items or content, you give an extra amount you consider fair to help meet our stretch goals. Everyone works together for the benefit of more game for everybody. No costume packs, no special game-breaking weapon, no super cool level for select players only – just more fun for everybody.

Unfortunately, that's outside the scope of our project (it would take a lot more money/people to do it). We are designing the narrative and systems for the single-player game. It is a single-player RPG that focuses on letting you play out your zombie apocalypse story.

-The book includes the story of DoubleBear Productions, the making of Dead State story, art concept and design progression, unused material, designer notes, sidebars on the world and shelter, character bios and art, team interviews, and original fiction and writing by Brian Mitsoda. If you're a fan of the secrets of game production or zombie fiction, there's something for you.

We can't accept PayPal for Kickstarter funds, however, this is the method multiple other projects have recommended:

1. Get a Ukash voucher from their site (Ukash.com)

2.Follow the instructions there to get a Ukash NEO card, which can be used as a Mastercard on Amazon. (Please read the rules at their site first - we're obviously not affiliated.) Apparently you should add an extra $1 onto the card for Amazon's account processing system.

3. Pledge through Amazon with the Ukash NEO card the same way you would with a credit card.

There seem to be multiple explanations online on how to do this if you get stuck - hope that helps!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $21 or more
About $21

The Radio Tier: This tier includes the DRM-Free digital download of Dead State plus access to exclusive developer updates featuring developer videos, first looks at in-game shots, writing from the game, game art, and much more. We will be regularly updating “The Radio” with new info throughout development.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $30 or more
About $30

A digital copy, the game soundtrack (MP3s), and a bronze-level patron badge. Patron badges will be activated on our forums after the project is funded. (You will need a forum account to show off your badge.)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $30 or more
About $30

The Ally Pack – This pack contains 2 DRM-free copies of the game – one for you and a friend. It is a separate reward not included in the other tiers and contains no items except for 2 digital copies of the game.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $50 or more
About $50

A digital copy of the game, the soundtrack, and a digital version of the “Making of Dead State” book. This book traces the origin of DoubleBear and Dead State and contains original fiction, concept art, and design documentation, plus interviews with the team. The book will sent as a .PDF download to contributors at this tier after the game ships.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $85 or more
About $85

The Save One for Yourself Pack
(This Pack is not included in any other tier)
-A metal magnum bullet-shaped USB pre-loaded with the game, etched with the Dead State logo, and on a keychain for easy transport and bragging rights.
-A digital copy of the game so you don’t have to wait for delivery.
-The digital soundtrack, the digital book, special thanks in the credits, and a silver forum badge
(Add $10 for shipping outside of the US and Canada)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $100 or more
About $100

All of the above, the silver-level patron badge, plus a limited edition Dead State T-shirt that is only available to Kickstarter patrons. The shirt will ship shortly after the funding goals are met. (Please add $10 for shipping to territories outside the US and Canada).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $150 or more
About $150

The Gold Edition. All of the above, a second digital copy of the game, a trade paperback version of the “Making of Dead State” book signed by Brian and Annie, and a gold level forum tag. (Please add $10 for shipping to territories outside the US and Canada).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $250 or more
About $250

The Splendid Box: Deluxe Edition
It includes:
-A Large Collector’s Box for all the stuff.
-A DVD copy of the Game and a CD of the Soundtrack
-The Special Edition Shirt, the USB Bullet pre-loaded with the game, the Signed Paperback of the Making of Dead State, and a real paper Manual
-Collectible Game Merch, including an MMM,Bison! Kid’s Placemat, a Splendid Evacuation Notice, Friggin’ Chikin Frequent Gorger’s Card, and much more. (All sheets printed on high quality paper)
-A Signed Letter from the Devs.
But wait, there’s more! We’ll also give you two digital copies, a gold forum tag, and special thanks in the credits.
(Add $15 for shipping outside of the US and Canada)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

We will include your zombie apocalypse text message (up to 250 characters) written by you in the game as part of our collectible in-game data. Some editorial standards apply. Includes all Gold Edition items.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $750 or more
About $750

Our portrait artist will draw a portrait of you (you must supply a photo of yourself) to be used as a non-ally NPC in the game. A copy of the complete portrait will be sent to you before the game ships. Includes all Gold Edition items.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $800 or more
About $800

Our portrait artist will draw a portrait of you as a zombie, which will be used for a zombie in the game. A copy of the complete portrait will be sent to you before the game ships. Includes all Gold Edition items.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

A personalized item in the game. This is a non-equipped item that would be found by players – you provide the description, we make the art. Some standards and editorial restrictions apply. Includes all Gold Edition items.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $2,000 or more
About $2,000

Work with Brian Mitsoda to tell your “zombie apocalypse story” which will show up as a collectible piece of story data for every player to see. Could be an email or diary entry or note about your fate in the zombie apocalypse – we’ll work with you to make sure it fits into our world. Word count will be limited to format. Includes all Gold Edition items.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $5,000 or more
About $5,000

Everything we have to offer (must choose either zombie or NPC portrait), ten extra digital copies of the game, an invite to our team launch party (you’re responsible for making it to Seattle), and a special Dead State Platinum Level forum tag for bragging rights.